This wasn’t a promise. It wasn’t a guarantee. But it wasn’t going to be a one-night stand. This was the start of something too big to be contained in a night, in a week, in any set amount of time. It was too big for a postcard, an email. Too big to have in one talk.
It was in all the things that weren’t said, all the things that didn’t have to be, all the things that shouldn’t have been. Maybe they never talked about what had happened between them in Brazil, not because there wasn’t anything to talk about, but because there was too much to know how to say it all. Maybe Blake really had been hoping for her to broach the topic first, for the same reasons she hadn’t brought it up with him. Who wanted to be the one who didn’t understand what the fling was—the one who ruined it by bringing up feelings that weren’t supposed to be there? Who wanted to be the one left behind when the other person moved on?
Or maybe it was like he’d said, and he’d simply needed more time to sort out what was in his heart, the same way Julia had. Because it was only when faced with his absence that she truly understood what it had meant to know him by her side. The pain wasn’t in leaving, she’d come to realize, but in having to go through every subsequent moment knowing both of them had left.
She slid him out of his pants and pushed his shirt up so she could lick along his stomach, flick his nipples with her tongue. Work her way down with such tantalizing slowness that he was squirming by the time she touched the tip of his cock lightly, teasing, with her tongue. She licked along the length of his shaft, then slid her mouth over him. She loved the feel of him, the taste of him, the way he filled her mouth. The way he filled her, completely.
And then she was standing before him, pulling her clothes off, reaching over to get a condom from her nightstand, climbing on top of him. Murmuring her love to him as her body lowered down. It was different in her apartment, in her home, surrounded by the quietness of her everyday life. And it was different knowing that this wouldn’t be the last time.
That should have been scary, but she wasn’t afraid. She was on the edge of the cliff and she was running, she was hitting the edge, she was taking the next step with nothing to hold her up, but she already knew that when she tumbled off the edge of the platform, she would feel not the absence of ground beneath her but the thrill of flying with her brand new wings.
If she fell, well, at least the views would be worth it on the way down. But first the wind would catch her and she’d fly.
Did you love this Entangled Select Contemporary? Check out more of our titles here!
And for exclusive sneak peeks at our upcoming books, excerpts, contests, chats with our authors and editors, and more…
Sign up for our Newsletter
Be sure to like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Acknowledgments
Thanks to my agent, Andrea Somberg, for her wisdom, support, and generosity with her time—I am so lucky to have you! Alycia Tornetta is a dream editor who completely got Julia and Blake and helped take their story to the next level. Thank you to Alison B. and Nora Metzger for their invaluable feedback on earlier drafts, and to Balaka Basu, the best Skype writing buddy, pep-talker, and critique partner I could ask for. Sean Austin doesn’t know it, but he gave me the initial idea for Julia’s character—thanks for letting me steal from your brain. And of course my deepest thanks to Robert, my first and best reader, who never fails to believe in what I’m writing long before I do.
I was fortunate to spend time in Brazil from 2004-2005 and again in the summer of 2006. While I didn’t have quite the same experiences as Julia, I did go to all the places she visits. I am especially grateful to the Paiva family in Fortaleza, Becky for jumping off a cliff with me in Rio, and Dzashe for long chats on the beach. Also the random Australian couple that suggested sharing a cab to the Argentine side of Foz do Iguaçu. You never know who you’re going to meet or the ways life can change if you want it to.
About the Author
Rebecca Brooks lives in New York City in an apartment filled with books. She received a PhD in English but decided it was more fun to write books than write about them. She has backpacked alone through India and Brazil, traveled by cargo boat down the Amazon River, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, explored ice caves in Peru, trekked to the source of the Ganges, and sunbathed in Burma, but she always likes coming home to a cold beer and her hot husband in the Bronx. Rebecca is the author of Above All (2014), How to Fall (2015), and is currently at work on a series set at a ski resort in Washington. She can be found at rebeccabrooksromance.com, and on Twitter at twitter.com/BeccaBooks and Facebook at facebook.com/rebeccabrooksromance.
Sad to say good-bye to Julia and Blake? Join the email conversation at rebeccabrooksromance.com/newsletter for tidbits about the book, the couple, deleted scenes, upcoming releases, and more.
Sign up for our Select newsletter and be the first to hear about new releases from Rebecca Brooks and other fantastic Entangled authors!
Reviews help other readers find books. We appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative. Thank you for reading!
Discover more Entangled Select Contemporary titles…
Playing with Fire
a Tangled in Texas novel by Alison Bliss
Anna Weber is every inch the proper librarian—old-fashioned, conservatively dressed right down to her tightly clipped flaming red hair. She knows too well what it means to be burned. And she will never, ever fall in love–especially not with the town’s red-hot fireman. But Cowboy can’t resist the fiery little librarian. She’ll test his patience. His control. Hell, his very sanity. For the first time, Cowboy’s found the one fire he can’t control…
One Sinful Night in Sao Paulo
by Amber Belldene
Cassie Wilson has traveled to Brazil for her brother’s wedding; yet she’s the one with cold feet. She’s all set to begin seminary, but she’s sick and tired of being treated like a saint. What she really needs is a sexy night to ease her jitters. Enter Adam Forrester, the best man. Ready for a fresh start, Adam plans to apologize to Cassie for whatever happened on that drunken night he can’t remember. Only Cassie has other plans. Can she force him to see her as a real woman, desires and all?
Hidden Away
a novel by Jennie Marts
Her cousin’s death leaves restuarant owner Cherry Hill sole guardian of her eight-year-old nephew. To help her keep custody, Taylor Johnson, the man who broke her heart nine years ago, steps in. Sheriff Johnson protects the citizens of Broken Falls, but a fake engagement to the woman he fell for so long ago is going above and beyond. Before long, his pretend feeings turn real for both Cherry and Sam. But Cherry’s been hiding a secret from Taylor that could rip this new family apart…
Priya in Heels
a novel by Ayesha Patel
Priya Patel is the ideal traditional daughter. She’s obedient, successful, and willing to let her parents choose her husband. With her medical residency underway, she faces the ultimate decision—marriage to a man whom she barely knows or breaking all the rules (and hearts) to be with the love of her life.